SpiderMan 4
by SandwichesHinderProgress
Summary: Based on Sam Raimi's ideas, this story sees Peter Parker, better known as Spider-Man, fighting the Vulture and the Vultress while his former physics teacher, Dr. Connors, conducts an experiment gone wrong that results in his transformation into Lizard.
1. Studies

Peter Parker dreamed of images in comic book form. He could see himself changing into the superhero that he was. He could see Uncle Ben getting shot by the Sandman, even though he was not there. What Peter was seeing was how he imagined his uncle getting shot. He could also see the death of The Green Goblin. He was Norman Osborn, the father of his best friend, Harry Osborn. He could see himself getting unmasked by Harry, right before he fought Doctor Octopus. He could see himself swinging away from Harry as he flew on a glider. He could see a symbiote getting on his suit. He could see himself tearing the symbiote off, only to have it land on Eddie Brock Jr. He could see Harry saving him from The Sandman. He could see Eddie and the symbiote getting destroyed by a Pumpkin Bomb. He could see himself and Mary Jane next to their dying friend. He could see himself hugging Mary Jane in the club that she worked at.

The images went away as Peter woke up in his apartment. He got himself dressed. He opened the door to his room. After all this time, the door was still not fixed. He walked past Mr. Ditkovich.

"Morning, Peter," he said.

"Morning, Mr. Ditkovich," Peter replied. He extracted some cash from the wallet in his pocket. "Almost forgot. Here's this month's rent."

"Thank you, Peter," he said as he received the dollar bills. "Have a nice day."

"You too."

"Hi Pete," Ditkovich's daughter Ursula said.

"Hi."

"Bye."

"Bye."

_My name is Peter Parker. I also go by Spider-Man. But not everybody knows that. Most of the people who knew that are dead. The only person close to me who knows is Mary Jane Watson. Boy, she's the prettiest girl I know. I hurt her two years ago, when I slapped her while I was out with another girl. That was the work of a symbiote that took over my body. Nevertheless, I still feel guilt to this day._

Peter drove his motor-bike by Mary Jane's home. She looked out the window and saw him. He waved, and then she waved. There was a brief silence before Peter drove off. Moments later, he heard a cry of help.

"Help!" a man yelled.

Peter drove into an alley and came back out wearing his red and blue suit. He was Spider-Man. Spider-Man shot webs out from his wrists and swung to the scene of the crime. Two criminals were trying to get a man away from his car so that they could steal it. Spider-Man shot webs at the two criminals and pulled them away from the driver.

"Thanks for the help, Spider-Man!"

"No problem," Spider-Man said.

The police arrived and arrested the criminals.

"Good job, Spider-Man," one of the officers said before turning his head and realizing that Spider-Man had left.

Peter went back to the alley and changed back into his normal clothes. He continued driving to his destination. It was the last day of his senior year at college. Peter listened to the words provided by all of his teachers.

"After today, the world can be yours," one of them said.

Peter nodded his head.

"Can you believe how corny this guy is?" one of the students said.

"If you had listened these last four years, you might have learned something," Peter said.

The student smiled as he shook his head, as if to say that Peter was also corny. Peter shrugged it off. Later on, he visited his former physics teacher, Doctor Curt Connors. He had a left arm, but no right arm.

"Hello, Parker," he said.

"Hey, Dr. Connors," Peter replied.

"Do you have any summer plans?" Connors asked.

"Just the usual," Peter said.

"Being lazy?" Connors said. "I'm kidding."

Peter smiled.

"Oh. Do you have any summer plans?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. Ever since you showed me that symbiote, I have been researching a lot on biology. I have found out many fascinating things. I will be conducting some experiments down in Florida."

"On the symbiote sample?"

"No. I'm never letting that thing out. Especially not after that attack two years ago. It's strange how that thing showed up in this city a little while after you found that sample."

Peter felt nervous. He tried not to show it. He had to change the subject, and quick.

"What kind of experiments will you be doing?"

"It will have to do with regeneration."

"Regeneration?" Peter replied in confusion.

"Yes. I don't think that I ever told you this, but I was in the army a while ago. I can still remember the war. All the bullets. They took my hand. And then they blasted the rest of my arm. They had to lop it off at the shoulder."

Peter was not sure what to say. He felt uncomfortable hearing Dr. Connors talk about his war injury. He had to break the silence to make it seem less awkward.

"Those bastards," Peter uttered.

"It was war," Dr. Connors said. "Things like that happen. Hopefully I will find a way to get my arm back."

"I know that it's probably not my place to say this to you, but don't obsess too much over your work."

"How do you mean?"

"Well, you heard what happened to Dr. Octavius two years ago, right?"

"I will not make a mistake," Connors promised. "My work won't be all that I have while I'm in Florida. I'm bringing my wife and our son with me. We will have a good vacation together."

"Well then, have fun in Florida."

"Have fun hanging here in New York."

The two of them shook left hands. It would have been awkward if Peter had used his right hand.


	2. Graduation

The day arrived at last. Peter Parker's graduation. The ceremony took place outdoors. He sat among the rest of the students who were graduating. Like them, he wore the blue cap and gown. He wished that he could stand out for Aunt May.

"If only I could have a bit of red on this blue outfit," Peter whispered to himself.

That would be reminiscent of his superhero suit. He would rather wear that than the black suit he had two years prior. That suit changed him horrifically back then...

The graduation ceremony preceded. There were various performances. Musicians and singers performed "For Good" from the musical _Wicked_, which centered around the life of the fictional Wicked Witch of the West who appeared in _The Wonderful Wizard of Oz_. Peter remembered when his parents read the book the L. Frank Baum to him as a child. Aunt May had the classic 1939 film on VHS.

Not only did this song bring back memories of his parents; "For Good" drew forth memories of Mary Jane. Stage shows always reminded him of her. She was an actress. Her voice was so beautiful whenever she sang a song in a theatrical production. Unfair critics abruptly ended her career in theater two years ago. Peter still believed she could return to that life someday.

Thinking about Oz also reminded him of something his late best friend Harry said. After Harry's father died, he told Peter that he wanted to make his dead father proud by becoming "The Wizard of Oscorp." Unfortunately, Oscorp evaporated into thin air after Dr. Octavius failed to help put the company back on the map. Harry was furious about this.

Peter listened to the beautiful song's lyrics:

_Who can say if I've been_

_Changed for the better?_

_ I do believe I have been_

_Changed for the better..._

After the performances, the students walked onto the stage to get their diplomas.

"Felicia Hardy!"

Felicia Hardy walked onto the stage and received her diploma. She looked at Peter and waved at him. He looked around to see if she was waving at someone else. He could not tell. What he could tell was how happy she looked with her bright smile. Peter knew Felicia from an English course that he took, but they did not really speak to each other so much. Peter waited for a few more letters to pass by.

"Peter Parker!"

Peter walked onto the stage and received the diploma. He looked at his aunt in the audience and smiled for a picture. Aunt May took a photograph.

"That's my nephew!" she said.

Later, the dean of the school gave some parting words for the students.

"We have all gone through change. It is something that cannot be stopped. But we must learn the difference between good change and bad change. Bad change is something that you may not be able to recover from. But good change is something that can lead to great things. It can help you. Now, let's give another round of applause for the class of 2006!"

The ceremony was filled with thunderous applause. Many students threw their hats in the air. Part of Peter wanted to use his web-shooting power to retrieve his hat. He restrained himself. At the ceremony's end, Peter walked over to Aunt May, who gave him a hug.

"I am so proud of you, Peter!" she said. "And I know your uncle would have been so proud of you, too."

"He _is_ proud of me, Aunt May."

"Oh, I know. You are such a good student."

Felicia Hardy walked over to Peter and his aunt.

"Hey, Peter," Felicia said. "Did you like my singing?"

"During that song from _Wicked_? Yeah. I love that song."

"I love musicals. My favorite musical is _Cats_."

"Yeah. That's a good one. Congratulations on getting straight A's."

"Thanks. It was no easy feat. So..."

At this moment, Felicia started fidgeting. She was being awkward.

"I guess I'll see you around," Peter said.

"Yeah. You too. I mean, me too. Or... Bye."

When Felicia walked away, Aunt May looked at Peter.

"I think she likes you, Peter."

"Really? Oh. I guess I should have told her that I have a girlfriend."

"Of course you should have. You don't want something disrupting your relationship with Mary Jane. Don't hurt her again, Peter.?"

"Don't worry, Aunt May. Mary Jane is the only woman I care about. I don't ever want to hurt her again. I'm actually having dinner with her tonight. I'm taking her something nice."

"Good. You have learned a lot about being a gentlemen, Peter."

"My uncle was a good role model."

"He sure was, Peter. Oh, how I miss him."

"I miss him, too."

The two of them hugged as they thought more about Uncle Ben.


	3. Harness Development

Felicia Hardy away drove from Empire State University. She had a crush on Peter Parker. She hoped that one day he would realize it. Perhaps he knew right now. If he knew, then she was unaware of it. It was hard to tell. Her feelings could not have been that hard to decipher, could they? If they were readable, then she would have wanted Peter to acknowledge it and then ask her out on a date to a fancy restaurant.

New York traffic was hectic. Too many vehicles. Luckily her destination was not too far. For the past couple of months, Felica had been working as a temp for a small but well-known business firm called Bestman Business. The name was a bit on the nose, but it suited it. The head of the company was Gregory Bestman, a middle-aged brown-haired man whose attire was always a suit as far as she knew.

When at last she reached her destination, Felicia exited her black car and entered the building. She took the elevator to the workplace of Adrian Toomes. He was a bald, elderly man with an incredible mind. He was one of the best electronics engineers known to man.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Hardy," Toomes greeted her.

"Good afternoon," she replied. "What are we doing today?"

"Same old same old. That must sound funny coming from an old dinosaur like me."

Felicia laughed politely.

"Surely you are not that old, Mr. Toomes."

"Just look at my head, missy. I am as bald as an eagle. You should cherish that long, blond hair you've got there."

"I will. So, in other words, we are still working on the flight harness?"

"Correct. We have made great progress on this mechanism."

Felicia examined the blueprints on the table. It depicted the schematics for a flight harness resembling wings of an enormous flying bird. She compared the design to the actual harness. It was composed of green metal with edges shaped like feathers.

"If I am right, we can get this device tested very soon," Toomes said. "Just need to make sure that it is capable of flight. Your help has been very essential, and you have been very productive."

"Thank you, Mr. Toomes."

Hardy was selected for this job due to the various courses that she had taken in school. Physics, engineering, the works. She felt worthy of this job, and she was proud to take part in what could perhaps be a historical scientific breakthrough.

The glider that Oscorp had developed years prior was deemed too dangerous by some critics and professionals. It required a lot of balance. Toomes wanted to create something that was safer for the user. He hoped that his invention could one day be used by the likes of soldiers of the American military. It would aid soldiers. It would also aid him financially. In recent years, Toomes had been close to losing money. He put too much sweat and blood in this project that could alter his life for the better, and perhaps for a long duration of time. He felt that that time was approaching nearer and nearer each day.

"Let's crack some eggs," Toomes said. That was his way of saying, "Let's get crackin'."

The two of them worked for several hours. They compiled the necessary components that were small yet essential to the harness. Wrenches and soldering tools were implemented on the machine. It was nearing completion. When nighttime arrived, the two took a break.

"I have a great feeling about this," Toomes said. "I think that it is ready to be tested."


	4. Dinner

Peter met with Mary Jane at a fancy Italian restaurant. Mary Jane was thankful for the opportunities to go to places such as this. After all, waitress money does not amount to the same sum as actress money. They were seated at a table near a window. Peter wore a gray suit with a red tie. Mary Jane wore a beautiful pink dress.

"Now this is a dinner to celebrate more than just a couple of graduations," Mary Jane said.

"How was your day?" Peter asked.

"All right," Mary Jane answered. "Just another boring day at work."

"Been looking for other jobs?"

"Peter, you're really starting to sound like my parents."

"I didn't mean it that way. I meant, have you found any opportunities to be an actress again?"

Mary Jane looked at the window. She could see the outside world filled with everyday people walking towards their destinations.

"No," she answered. "I don't know why I even try. Nobody wants me onstage these days."

"I want you onstage."

"Well then you should open your own theater."

Peter stared at her.

"I'm sorry," she said. "It's just that, I feel like I've given up and that there's nothing else that I can do. I feel like I am always gonna be some waitress."

"You're also a singer. Sure it's bad, but it's not as bad as it was long ago."

Mary Jane could not tell if he was referring to her old waitress job four years earlier or the time Peter hit her at her current one. She did not want to ask. She changed the subject.

"How was your day?"

"Pretty good. The graduation ceremony was enjoyable. There's this really strange student though."

"What's weird about him."

"It's a she, and she has a crush on me."

"Why do the girls at your school always have to have a crush on you."

"You don't have to worry about her, M.J. If she ever asks me to do something with her, I will say, 'No'. You know that you're the only woman I love, M.J."

They stared deep into each others eyes.

"I know. If she likes you now, imagine how much she'd like you if she found out you were Spider-Man. Then you'd have a superhero stalker on your hands."

"Don't worry. She won't find out. I promise. My secret identity is between you and me."

"When are you going to tell Aunt May?"

Peter thought about that for a moment. He loved Aunt May and definitely trusted her. She and Uncle Ben took good care of him since he was a kid. He was not sure how his aunt would react to the news that he was Spider-Man.

On the one hand, Spider-Man was a hero, except for that one time when he "killed" Flint Marko, a man who had accidentally shot Uncle Ben, resulting in his death. The Sandman, as Marko had become known as due to his powers to shape-shift as sand, was forgiven when he explained that it was an accident. Even _he_ knew Spider-Man's secret identity.

On the other hand, Aunt May could have a heart-attack knowing that her only nephew was swinging into dangerous and deadly situations. He did not want her to worry about him.

Deep in his heart, however, he knew that he had to tell her.

"I will tell her after our date."

"Good. She's your family. She deserves to know."

"I know. That's why I am going to tell her in person."

The entre's arrived at last.

"Thank you," Peter said to the waiter.

"Well, dig in," Mary Jane said.

The two of them were in deep thought as they consumed the best pasta and chicken in New York.


	5. Cat Burglar

After his date with Mary Jane, Peter drove his motor bike to Aunt May's neighborhood. It was around 10:00 P.M. He wondered if his aunt would be awake at this hour. Either way, he had to tell her.

As he got closer to her house, he heard a distant sound of shattering glass. He looked back and noticed a broken window. A silhouetted figure was inside. Peter parked his bike a block away. Behind tall bushes, he managed to remove his civilian clothes, leaving only his Spider-Man suit. He masked himself with the iconic face of the hero. He went back to the house. He made a web on the fence so that it could hold his camera. He pointed the camera towards the window and snapped a photo.

Inside the house with a broken window was a cat burglar. The burglar wore black pants, a black long-sleeve shirt, black gloves, and a black ski mask. The burglar carried a flashlight and pointed it at the expensive objects that were housed here. On a few tables, there were rare vases and a box full of gems. This was a wealthy family. The clean paint job on the outside of this two-story house said it all.

The burglar grabbed one of the vases and put it in a black sack. It was done slowly and cautiously. It would be worthless if it was damaged.

"Nice digs."

The burglar heard the voice and turned around to see Spider-Man.

"I wouldn't mind living in a place like this. Of course, today's realtors only want to give it to high bidders."

"You're looking at a high bidder," the burglar said.

"You should consider yourself lucky."

"You could be just as lucky if you asked to be paid for saving lives."

"I could, but then I wouldn't be a hero. And you know what heroes do to criminals like you."

"All right, hero. You think you've caught me? Let's see if you can catch this!"

The cat burglar through a vase towards Spider-Man. He shot out a web that pulled the vase to his hand. He looked at the broken window. He used both hands to create a web. He looked at the burglar, who threw another vase. Spider-Man dodged it, and it landed in the web. Another vase was thrown, and Spider-Man shot out a webs that drew it to the large web that was in front of the broken window.

"You should come quietely. Otherwise, the whole family will hear you and wake up."

The cat burglar made a break for the kitchen. Spider-Man followed. There was a glass sliding door. Spider-Man shot a web at the burglar before the escape could be made. He pulled the burglar onto the kitchen floor. The light turned on. There was a mother, a father, a son, and a daughter.

"It's Spider-Man!" the children said.

"Call the cops!" Spider-Man commanded the parents.

They nodded. The mother ran to the home phone and dialed the number.

Minutes later, the police arrived. They entered the house.

"This man tried to rob us," the mother explained as she led the police officers to the kitchen, where the father awaited. The burglar was tied by web shots.

"We wouldn't have caught him without Spider-"

The father stopped and looked around. Spider-Man was nowhere to be found.

Outside of the house, Peter Parker was taking pictures of the scene as a news crew arrived. A female reporter and a camera-operator emerged from the van. She went inside the house.

Within minutes, a news report of this incident was broadcasted on television screens city-wide, one of them being at Adrian Toomes' workplace.

_"The Blake family says that the cat burglar who entered their home was stopped by Spider-Man, who has left the scene of the crime. The suspect who broke into this family's home has been identified as Walter Hardy, father of twenty-two-year-old Felicia Hardy."_

Felicia focused on the screen. The cat burglar was her blond-haired father. He was handcuffed. She was in shock. Toomes was silent.

_"If my daughter is watching, I just want to say that I am sorry for missing her graduation earlier today. I also want to give her advice: Don't settle for second best. If you want to play basketball, be a basketball player, not a cheerleader."_

The sight was too painful for Felicia. Her eyes were filled with tears. To think that her father may have been burgling all those times that he was not there for her. Mr. Toomes felt empathy for her.

"Why don't you go get some rest?" he suggested. "You can come back whenever you feel like it."

How could she rest at a time like this? Her father was being taken to jail. Worse than that was that he was seldom there for her. What would she do?

"You can go ahead and test the harness without me tomorrow," she said.

Toomes looked at her for a moment before nodding. He had nothing left to say.


	6. The Daily Bugle

He ended up not telling Aunt May. There was just too much going on in his mind. To think that he caught Felicia's father got him arrested. May briefly knew Felicia. How would she react?

The next day, Peter went to work. The Daily Bugle was one of New York's most popular newspapers. It was infamous for portraying Spider-Man as a villain. That was primarily the doing of Jeremiah Jonah Jameson. He chose to view Spider-Man as a menace rather than a hero. Peter got annoyed with his accusations over the last four years. He would be yelling at the man had he not given Parker a staff job two years prior. Payment was much better.

Peter walked into the Flatiron Building and took the elevator. In his hands, he carried photos of the burglary that had taken place the night before. He reached his floor.

"Hey Peter," Betty the receptionist said. "The meeting has started. You should really get in there."

"Yeah. I'll get in there. Thanks."

Betty smiled as Peter walked into the conference room. There's Peter saw various staff members around a long table. There was Robbie Robertson, an black-suited, black-tied, and gray-haired African-American man who had been with the Bugle for many years and who was able to perceive Spider-Man's heroism. Peter respected him. Also sitting close to the boss was Henry Hoffman, who had black hair, a black suit, a gray tie, and glasses with brown frames.

J. Jonah Jameson was recognizable due to his toothbrush mustache and his hair that was black on the top and white on the sides. This reminded Peter of Mr. Fantastic. Jameson, however, was not fantastic. He even once accused the Fantastic Four of being menacing. He is also characterized by his attire, which included a white shirt, a brown vest, and a blue tie. Sometimes, he was seen with a cigar.

"Parker!" Jameson said. "Just the man I was waiting for. How are you doing today?"

"Um-"

"I don't really care. Just give me whatever photos you have."

Peter handed Jameson the photos. He flipped through them. The images included the silhouetted burglar in the broken window, Spider-Man's web touching a vase, Spider-Man facing the burglar, Spider-Man leaving the house, and the police arriving at the house.

"Great work, Parker! We've finally got Spider-Man's hand in the cookie jar."

"He wasn't robbing the house, Mr. Jameson. He defeated that burglar and left before the police arrived."

"Why else would he do that unless he was part of this inside job?"

"Maybe he had important things to do," Robertson suggested.

"Important?" Jameson said. "I suppose robbing a bank would be important to him."

"He did not rob a bank!"

"Do you know that for a fact?"

"I do," Peter said. "Spider-Man would never do that. That's not who he is."

"The only 'proof' that we have is that photo-shopped picture that Eddie Brock made a couple years back."

"Ah, yes," Jameson said. "That guy got what was coming to him. Boy did he get fired."

Peter was not going to acknowledge the irony in Jameson's statement. Brock was, of course, killed by the explosion caused by Harry's pumpkin bomb. Peter used it to kill the symbiote that had taken over Brock, but Brock did not want to loose the suit. He wanted to be Venom, and he died Venom.

"Here's the headline: 'BURGLARY AT BLAKE HOUSE. SPIDER-MAN INVOLVED?'"

"Good alliteration, sir," Hoffman said.

"I know it is. Now go print that on the front page!"


	7. The Vulture

Felicia did not show up. Adrian Toomes had to test the harness by himself. He wore a green flight suit that complimented the harness. He entered an empty room with a lot of space in it. He was not going to fly too high. Toomes strapped the green harness onto himself. He flapped the wings wings and flew from one side of the room to the other.

"Amazing," he said as he landed.

He flapped again and returned to the other side of the room.

"Let's see if I have any other tricks tucked in my wings."

He flew forward and then turned left. Then right. Then upward. He landed.

"It works! It really works! At that work has paid off!"

Adrian Toomes took off the flight harness. He ran to the office of Gregory Bestman.

"Greg! It works! It works!"

Bestman was sitting at his desk.

"Does it really?"

"Yes! It works! We're gonna be rich!"

"We?"

"Is there a problem?"

"I am no longer funding or promoting this project. I am not interested. You're fired."

"Fired? What about the project? What about my pay?"

"I'm sure I can find use for the money that was to be given to you."

"You can't do that! I can sue you!"

"_You_ sue _me_? You're looking at someone who can hire the best lawyer in New York. You, on the other hand, are broke. Speaking of which, I believe I will have to confiscate the harness."

Bestman walked past Toomes and headed to the room where Toomes had left the harness. Toomes ran past Bestman and grabbed the device. He did not want to let Bestman off that easily. Especially not after all the hard work that he had done.

"Give it up, Toomes. Just give me the harness."

Toomes strapped the harness onto himself. He gazed angrily at Bestman.

"I'll show you broke!"

Toomes flapped the wings.

"What are you gonna do?" Bestman taunted. "Fly at me?"

"Precisely."

Toomes flew towards Bestman. Bestman ran as quickly as he could. He was not fast enough. Toomes was above him. He used his feet to grab the man's head. Bestman's feet were off the ground. He was being lifted. The two of them crashed through the glass of the window. Bestman could do nothing but scream in pain with splinters of glass on his face. Toomes dropped him. Bestman fell five stories. He landed on a car. Toomes swooped down to observe the body. Bestman was dead. People on the sidewalk gathered around him. A few began taking pictures. Toomes covered his face with a wing before flying away. He landed on a tall building and observed the citizens below.

"I'll show you broke."


	8. SpiderMan vs Vulture

Through the windows, the staff of the Daily Bugle observed the events transpiring in the city outside. From this distance, they could see a green-costumed being whose identity they had yet to decipher. All that they could learn for now was that whoever this was could fly. This was not the first time an event of this sort occurred.

"What is that?" Betty wondered.

"Probably another scientist gone nuts," Peter answered.

Though he did not know this for a fact, Peter Parker was correct. The supervillains that he had fought before all obtained their abilities through some scientific phenomenon in one form or another. This time would not be the last. This fact he did not yet know...

"We need to give him a name," Jameson said.

"Green Goblin has already been taken," Robertson said.

"What about Hobgoblin?" Hoffman suggested.

"Don't be ridiculous. That's the stupidest name I have ever heard. He doesn't even look like any type of goblin. He looks like some sort of bird. Just look at those wings. Parker! Name me some birds!"

"Eagle?"

"Too patriotic. You really think America wants this guy to be named after our symbol of freedom?"

"Bald eagle?" Hoffman suggested.

"Now you're just piggybacking off of other people's ideas."

"He is bald," Hoffman asserted.

"You are stupid," Jameson replied. "Another bird!"

"Uh, vulture?" Peter said.

"I love it! Robertson, prepare a headline: 'VULTURE PICKS ON NEW YORKERS'."

"Got it," Robertson said.

"Parker, you're in for a huge reward if you can get a great picture of this rooster! Parker?"

Jameson turned away from the window to discover that Peter Parker was not there.

"I knew there was a reason I gave him that staff job."

The staff watched as the Vulture flew past citizens on the street. The people were terrified. The Vulture was flying towards the Bank of New York on Wall Street. Moments later, the staff saw Spider-Man swinging past the glass in front of them.

"Spider-Man!" Betty said.

"Where did he come from?" Jameson said. "Parker better get a good pic of those two teaming up to rob that bank."

"I am willing to bet that he will only get half," Robertson said.

"You don't think Parker's that good?" Hoffman asked.

"I believe that Spider-Man is good."

"Right," Jameson said. "Good at robbing banks!"

Spider-Man's webs swung him from building to building. He was tailing the Vulture. The grumpy old bird crashed his feet through the glass window of the bank.

"Give me all the bills and jewelery you have!" the Vulture demanded.

The frightened bankers and customers did not want to risk getting killed. They filled bags with dollars and diamonds. The diamonds were mainly from the richest people of the city.

"Very nice," the Vulture remarked.

Spider-Man arrived on the scene seconds later.

"You know, a man of your age really_ should_ consider retirement."

"After all this, I will have enough dough to retire and buy a mansion in the Caribbean!"

"That sounds like a great plan, but it looks like you'll have to make it a five-year-plan since I'm bringing you to justice."

"Justice? I work my ass off only to get screwed over. _This_ is justice!"

The Vulture flew past Spider-Man and left the bank carrying bags of riches.

"Go get him, Spider-Man!" customers said.

Spider-Man followed the Vulture as he migrated southward. He got on top of a building and shot at web at the bird. When it stuck to his right foot, he pulled the Vulture down. He crashed onto the top of the building, where Peter Parker's camera had been set up. The Vulture stood up and set down the bags and prepared to attack. Spider-Man pulled at his foot, causing the robber to slide face-down. The Vulture stood up again and cut off the web with his sharp wings. He flew towards Spider-Man. In an attempt to dodge, Spider-Man avoided death while obtaining a cut on his left shoulder in the process.

"Ow!"

A tear in his suit revealed a cut on the skin of his left shoulder. He tried to ignore the pain as the Vulture turned around and swooped down for another attack. His feet pushed the hero's torso, causing him to fall to the floor. The Vulture had him pinned down. Spider-Man groaned as he glanced at a bag full of diamonds. He pulled the bag with the string of his left hand and caught it with his right. He hit the sharp edge of the Vulture's left wing with the bag. Diamonds began to pour out.

"No!"

The Vulture scrambled frantically to the floor so that he could pick up the diamonds. While he was distracted, Spider-Man stood up. He shot webs at the backside of the Vulture's harness and pulled him away from the diamonds. The result was a crash against the wall that crippled the bird. His harness could no longer function at the moment.

"My work! Ruined!"

Spider-Man carried the injured bird to a police car that was observing the confrontation from the street below. He took a couple more trips to bring down the diamonds and moneybags. When he left, he took the camera with him back to the Daily Bugle, where he resumed his life as Peter Parker.

Peter Parker arrived at the floor where he met up with J. Jonah Jameson.

"You're awfully fast. Did you get the pictures?"

"All taken care of," Peter said.

Jameson smiled at Peter and patted him on the left shoulder. Though this was very painful for Peter, he tried to appear normal.

"You've done good, kid!"


	9. A Secret Revealed

Peter Parker received a satisfying sum for the picture that made the front page of the newspaper. The photo depicted the Vulture with his talon standing on Spider-Man as the hero holds up the bag of diamonds. J. Jonah Jameson made sure that the accompanying article had comments suggesting that Spider-Man was either an accomplice of the Vulture or a coward who could not stand up to the Vulture. Peter Parker tried not to let this bother him.

The following Sunday, Peter, May, and Mary Jane went to a church. Afterwards, they went to a buffet. It was Peter's treat to them, all thanks to the photo. The three of them sat at a table with plates full of food. They had an enjoyable feast. As the meal progressed, a conversation began.

"These criminals just keep popping out of nowhere," Aunt May said.

"What do they know about this Vulture guy?" Mary Jane asked Peter.

"I heard that he was developing the harness that gave him his 'powers'," Peter explained, making sure that he used air quotes. "The guy in charge of the company he was working for fired him. He just lost control and went on a spree."

"I worry about how close you get to these sorts of people, Peter," Aunt May said. "I saw that picture on the newspaper. You could have gotten hurt. Just look at what goes on around here. Not far from my house, a cat burglar was caught. It's a good thing Spider-Man was there. He can handle these things, but you can be harmed if you get too close."

"I made sure that I was safe," Peter said. "Don't worry. I won't die on the job."

"That bank robbery sure brings back memories. Remember that incident with Doctor Octopus? I almost died that day. I don't mean to embarrass you, Peter, but I am curious... Why did you leave me during that attack?"

Peter flashed back to that day. When that supervillain attacked, Peter ran away from Aunt May so that he could change into his Spider-Man outfit. Spider-Man saved Aunt May that day, but to her it seemed like Peter Parker just ran away.

"Maybe it's time that you told her," Mary Jane suggested.

"Tell me what?" Aunt May asked.

Peter thought for a moment. He could not tell her in a public place.

"I'll tell you when we go to your house."

When the food was finished, the three of them headed over to Aunt May's house. They went inside and sat Aunt May down at the kitchen table. At last, Peter broke the news.

"Aunt May, there is a secret that I have been keeping from you and countless other people for the past four years."

"What is it?"

"Aunt May, I'm Spider-Man."

Aunt May stared at her nephew in disbelief. Peter could see her reflecting on Spider-Man's actions and how they corresponded with the life of her nephew. Peter continued.

"I really wanted to tell you, but I was worried that you would be hurt."

"But, I worry about you being hurt. Mary Jane, how long have you known about this?"

"Two years. It was when he saved me from Doctor Octopus."

"So," Aunt May said, "when you ran away from me, Peter, you were really..."

"Becoming Spider-Man," Peter said. "I got these powers on a field trip when I was bitten by a radioactive spider. It was before Uncle Ben died. I think about what he would want me to do with these powers. I save people to honor his memory."

Aunt May looked away from Peter and stared into space, deep in thought.

"I don't know how I feel about this. I need some time to think."

Peter and Mary Jane stood for several seconds before moving closer to the door.

"Talk to you later, Aunt May," Peter said.

"Stay safe, Peter," she replied.


	10. May's Dream

Over the next week, Aunt May did not speak to Peter. She was consumed with worry for him. She knew that Peter was a hero if he was Spider-Man. She wondered, however, if it was worth risking his life. He had a staff job with the _Daily Bugle_ and was in a relationship with a wonderful woman.

There came a night when May had a dream. In this dream, she was speaking to someone familiar in her kitchen. This was her diseased husband, Ben Parker. She had dreamed of him many times before, and she wanted to make sure that these dreams lasted long just so she could see the face of her soul mate.

"You're worried about Peter," Ben said.

"I am," was all that May could say.

"It's only natural that you should feel worried about him. He's family."

"He is the only family that I have."

"I know."

"When I lost you, I swore to myself that I would not lose Peter during the remainder of my life."

"I understand. But you also have to understand that with great power comes great responsibility. Think of all the people that he has saved thanks to his powers. He certainly saved you."

"I am thankful for that."

"He cares about you even when he's trying to save others."

"It did take him a lot of courage to say what he said."

"You have no idea how much it hurts him to think of the possibility that you may not approve."

"I have never said that I do not approve."

"Well then, what will you say?"

May pondered over this question. Ben had been a wise man during the course of their marriage, which could have lasted fifty years and more had it not been for his death. Even when they discovered that they were unable to have kids decades earlier, they stuck together through the pain. Peter was like the son that they had never had. May at last came up with an answer.

"I will tell him that he _is_ Spider-Man, and that nothing should stop him from being who he is."

Ben smiled the iconic warm smile that May knew very well. The dream ended. The window in the bedroom revealed the morning light. May rose from the bed and walked over to the phone. He dialed Peter's number. Peter answered.

"Hello?" Peter said.

"Hello, Peter."

"Oh. Hi Aunt May. How are you doing?"

"I just want you to know that I have listened to a voice of reason. You _are_ Spider-Man, and nothing should stop you from being who you are."

"Thanks, Aunt May. That means a lot to me."


	11. Letter from the Vulture

Felicia Hardy sat on the couch in the living room of her apartment. She held in her hand an envelope addressed to her. It was sent by Adrian Toomes. She did not know whether she should open it. She knew what Toomes did weeks earlier. After much hesitation, she finally decided to open it. She pulled the letter out of the envelope and began to read it.

_Dear Felicia,_

_ By now you have heard about the crime that I committed. I hope that you do not think of me as an insane person. I did it all in the heat of the moment. Bestman was, after all, shutting down what I had worked so hard for. I gave him what I thought was appropriate for him at the time.  
><em>

_ I think that you should know that I have been thinking about what your father said. He told you that you should not settle for second best. That is like what happened with me. I did not want Bestman to think that he was better than me. I wanted to best him. I wonder if you have also been thinking of your father's words.  
><em>

_ You are a smart girl. I am sure that you have memorized the blueprints. You may even make some improvements of your own. Feel free to do so. Make it your own. Fly while you have wings.  
><em>

_Sincerely,  
><em>

_Adrian Toomes.  
><em>

Felicia lifted her eyes from the letter. She worked hard to be rewarded all her life. She imagined what it would be like to be able to rob places to become wealthy. She believed at that moment that her father had it right. His mistake was getting caught. She would make sure that she was more careful. After all, it is difficult for people to catch birds.

Over the next couple of weeks, Felicia built a harness much like that of Toomes. Her costume had its deviations from Toomes'. Rather than the green costume that Toomes was seen in, Felicia chose to have a black costume to make it difficult for others to spot her in the night. Her sharp, black wings would strike fear into those who would cross her path. At the end of it all, she looked in the mirror.

"What shall I be called? Black Bird? No. The Vultress."


	12. The Lizard

About 1,300 miles away from New York City, Dr. Curt Connors was hard at work. Nearly four weeks into this trip to Florida, Dr. Connors was working in a lab in the Everglades, accompanied by his wife Martha and his son Billy. Instead of fighting a war in a uniform with a gun like he did in the Gulf War, he was now wearing a lab coat and experimenting with various chemicals.

"I bet I can have my arm back by my forty-third birthday this November," Connors said to himself. "Maybe sooner."

He had been experimenting on a lizard that had lost its tail. He tested a chemical on it. Within moments, the tail grew back.

"It works!" Connors said. "I can grow it back! Martha! Come in here!"

Dr. Connors was so excited that he poured the chemical on the shoulder where his arm would have ended. Martha walked into the lab.

"What's going on?" Martha asked.

"It worked on my little friend here. I think it can work on me."

"You've used it on yourself?"

"Just wait and observe."

Curt waited. After a few moments, he felt his right arm growing back. He watched this process until he was able to wiggle his fingers.

"It worked!" Curt exclaimed.

"It's grown back!" Martha said.

"I did it. It actually worked. I've got my arm. I am looking at my hand right now and it is so beautiful."

As Curt finished that sentence, he began to notice strange developments. His right hand was turning green.

"Curt? Martha said.

Dr. Connors touched it with his left hand. It felt like it had the skin of some sort of reptile. Curt pulled up the right sleeve of his white lab coat. The green was spreading all over his regenerated arm.

"No! No! Give me back my hand!"

The arm began to move against Connors' will.

"Curt!" Martha said. "Don't worry. You can fix this."

"I don't want it to be fixed!" Curt said in an altered voice.

"What do you mean?"

Dr. Sallis noticed that Connors' left hand started to gain characteristics of the right one.

"I can feel new strength coursing in my veins," Curt explained. "I want more. I want power."

"Curt, you're scaring me."

"And I shall scare more people in order to demonstrate my power!"

Curt's new lizard feet broke out of his shoes. His head started to turn green. Hair fell off of his head. Something was bulging in Curt's face.

"Martha!" Curt said in a voice that sounded closer to his normal voice. "Run!"

A lizard snout grew on his face. His eyes turned yellow and resembled reptilian eyes. The Lizard began to run towards Martha with his mouth open, revealing sharp teeth that reminded her of a crocodile. Martha screamed as she ran out of the lab. She found her son in the living room.

"Mom?" Billy said.

"Come with me, Billy!"

Martha grabbed Billy and pulled him away from the Lizard.

"What about Dad?" Billy said.

"Dad's experiment went wrong. It's turned him into something different. We have to get out of here! He warned me himself!"

They ran to the car, which was parked outside of the building. With her shaking free hand, she pulled the key to the ignition from his pocket. She drove away as fast as he could. He could see the Lizard running on all fours in the mirror that said, "OBJECT IN MIRROR ARE CLOSER THAN THEY APPEAR." The Lizard managed to catch up and clung to the top of the car. A punch from the reptile made cracks visible on the windshield. Martha shook the Lizard off with a turn of the vehicle. The Lizard fell off. Martha could her transformed husband lying in a swamp.

The car was out of the Lizard's sight by the time he got up. The Lizard heard a distant sound. He turned his eyes to the night sky, which was filled with fireworks coming from town. He began his journey towards civilization.


	13. News Coverage

The staff of _The Daily Bugle_ watched a news report on the television. The subject was an unusual occurrence that took place in Florida. They listened to the male news reporter.

_"Citizens of Coral Gables, Florida were celebrating the 4th of July when they were terrorized by a mysterious creature that is rumored to have emerged from the Everglades. Witnesses say that the creature managed to get on a truck that was driving into town. Here is the footage recorded by witnesses._

A clip of the creature appeared on the screen. It resembled a giant lizard. Peter noticed that it was wearing a lab coat as it emerged from the back of a truck. People were screaming and scrambling for their lives as the creature snarled and ran all over the street. Another clip showed an angry mob pursuing the creature with knives. One bystander threw a knife and missed.

_"This monster, simply known as the Lizard, was last seen heading towards the Everglades. Hunters alike have banded together to pursue and silence the Lizard. Officials have offered a handsome reward for whoever can capture this creature to be studied. Others have made a game out of this situation and bet on who can kill it. A few hunters were willing to agree to have brief interviews."_

At this point in the program, a Russian hunter was shown being interviewed. At the bottom of the screen, he was idenified as Sergei Kravinoff. His chin was covered by a small black beard, and he had a black mustache. He reminded Peter of three people he had seen before: a wrestling match announcer, a bouncer, and a maitre d'.

_"Many of these people prefer to use shotguns. In my opinion, guns are for cheaters. I play fair. I hunt down animals with my bare hands. These other 'hunters' have nothing on me."_

J. Jonah Jameson turned off the television.

"Many news networks are covering this incident," Jameson said. "What we need to do is join this money wagon and do some news coverage of our own. I will personally fly down to Florida and find out what I can about this Lizard menace."

A thought occurred to Peter. Dr. Connors had told him that he would be in Florida for the summer. The Lizard had been wearing a lab coat. He wondered if it was possible that Dr. Connors and the Lizard were one and the same. He could not risk letting him get hurt by the likes of Kravinoff the hunter. Dr. Connors had a family. His death would bring great sorrow to that family. Connors had been a great teacher. Peter had to help him.

"May I go with you, sir?" Peter asked.

"Nope. You can't. You're the only photographer who is competent enough to get a good picture of Spider-Man. What if you miss him while you're out of town."

"I won't. Believe me."

"What make you so sure?"

"Instinct?"

"Instinct?"

"There doesn't seem to be that much crime right now. I got a good picture of the Vulture. Maybe I can get a picture of the Lizard. You can't investigate all alone."

J. Jonah Jameson thought this over for a moment.

"Fine. I guess you can come. But you're paying!"

"I'll give you his medication schedule," Betty said to Peter.


	14. Airport

Mary Jane and Aunt May made sure that they saw Peter off at the airport the next morning. His aunt gave him a hug.

"Now, you be careful out there, Peter," she said. "Don't let things get out of hand."

"I will do my best, Aunt May. Like I said, this thing in the swamp could be Dr. Connors. I can't let anyone kill him. He has a wife and a son. Jameson and I are flying to his hometown, Coral Gables. I will look for his family there."

Mary Jane walked up to Peter. She wrapped her arms around him and gave him a hug.

"A lizard can't harm a tiger, can it?"

"I will try to stay out of harm's way."

"I'm going to miss you, Peter."

"Don't worry. I'm not going away forever. It'll just be a few days. I'll be back before you know it."

"I believe in you, Peter. Just like how you believed in me."

"I still believe in you, Mary Jane. I still believe that you can be an actress again. Never give up."

"Come on, Parker!"

Peter turned around to see J. Jonah Jameson motioning for him to get in line with him.

"I really _hate_ his voice," Mary Jane said.

"I've gotten used to it," Peter said.

"I never could."

"Is that one of the things that drove you to me?"

Mary Jane smiled and let out a giggle. She gave Peter a passionate kiss on the lips. It did not take too long. It may have been longer had Aunt May not been present. Peter waved at the two important women in his life before getting in line with the grouchiest man he had ever known.

"I see that things are going well with you and her," Jameson said.

"Um, yeah."

"Much better than things were between her and my son."

"How is John?" Peter asked, rather awkwardly.

"His career is excellent. Sometimes, though, he seems like a lonely dog."

Peter had never heard his boss speak like this. He could glimpse concern for his son in his eyes. It tore Jameson up inside knowing that his son was left at the altar. Peter felt responsible. He could net help but let the guilt eat him up inside at the moment. Had he not been able to get great pictures of Spider-Man, Jameson may have fired him a long time ago. He was surprised that Jameson did not fire him right then and there.

"Do you think that Spider-Man could beat the Lizard in a fight?" Peter changed the subject.

"It doesn't really matter," Jameson said. "I don't think that I would be rooting for either of them. That Lizard looks like the most dangerous swamp creature that America has encountered since Man-Thing. And, I don't know if I've ever told you this, but Spider-Man is a menace! He always will be."

This statement angered an old man who was a few people ahead of Jameson and Parker. He had white hair and dark glasses. Peter recognized him as the man who had spoken to him in Times Square two years earlier. He had praised Spider-Man during that encounter. He turned around to deliver his rebuttal to J. Jonah Jameson.

"Spider-Man is a _hero_. 'Nuff said!"

"Pardon my French," Jameson said, "but are you in charge of _The Daily Bugle_, or any newspaper for that matter? I think not!"

"I've written way more things in my lifetime that are better than the unreasonable criticism that _you _ write."

Jameson had no response for that statement. He was silenced by the wise old man. Minutes later, he and Peter purchased their tickets. After boarding the airplane, they were on their way to Coral Gables, Florida.


	15. Coral Gables

Two hours passed on the airplane before they landed in Coral Gables. J. Jonah Jameson immediately started walking around the airport, interviewing people.

"How has the Lizard's rampage affected you?"

"Dude," the man said, "I flew in here from Atlanta."

"Ah. So you came here to _see_ the Lizard."

"Get away from me, loser."

The interviews continued when they walked in the streets. Jameson walked up to a variety of people.

"What do you think we should do about the Lizard?"

"I think that the Lizard should be burned alive," the woman said.

"I couldn't agree more," Jameson responded. "Are you writing all this down, Peter? What did you say your name was, ma'am?"

A couple of hours later, after having interviewed a couple dozen people, with only a quarter of them giving insightful answers to Jameson's questions, Peter bumped into a mother and her son.

"Sorry," Peter said.

"It's okay," the mother said.

"Ma'am!" Jameson said. "What do you think about this whole Lizard situation?"

"No comment," the mother said.

"Come on. You've got to have some sort of opinion on this matter."

"You wanna know my opinion? I think that the Lizard is misunderstood. Deep down, there is a man who has been taken over by a monster of his own creation."

"Sounds like a rehash of _Beauty and the Beast_ to me," Jameson said before running off to interview another pedestrian.

"Do you know him?" Peter asked. "It's okay. You can tell me. This is off the record. I'm not like my boss. I _believe_ you. What's your name?"

"Martha," she answered after much hesitation.

"Martha what?"

"Martha Connors. That's my husband's last name."

"Would his first name happen to be Curt?"

Martha stared at Peter after he asked this question.

"How did you know?"

Peter knew that his worst dear had been confirmed by her reaction.

"He was my physics professor back in New York. He said that he was coming here to experiment with regeneration."

"He wanted his arm back."

"I know."

"He conducted experiments. When he thought that he got it right, he went ahead and used something on himself. He grew an arm, but it wasn't his. Neither was the rest of the body after that."

"Mom, I don't want Dad to die," her son said.

"Neither do I, Billy," Martha said.

"We've got to do something!" Billy said. "Can you help us?"

"It's too dangerous," Martha said to Peter. "If you get close to him and try to reason with him, there is no telling what he will do."

Billy was desperate for help. That was apparent. Little did he know how helpful this stranger that he just met could really be.

"Maybe I can call a friend who can help."

"Who?" Billy asked.

"He's from a different neighborhood. Where are you two staying? I can have him meet you there."

Peter got the information that he needed from Martha and Billy. Tomorrow, they would meet Spider-Man. For now, he and Jameson would continue interviewing civilians before checking into their hotel room.


	16. The Vultress

Felicia did not know why she chose that night, but she did. Maybe it was her new-found confidence. Or maybe it just seemed like a nice night. Being a bird flying through the night sky of New York was exhilarating. No cats would be able to catch her; she was flying high above rooftops. She was the black cat of the sky, practically invisible on this dark, cloudy night. The Vulture's mistake had been to fly in broad daylight. They great thing about his madness was that she could learn from his mistakes. While he had been a noisy bird full of rage, she was quiet and subtle.

Her target was a museum containing precious gems. The inside of the museum was guarded by people on night shifts and rigged with lasers. She had a few gadgets up her wings. They would be revealed to the guards when her plan was in motion.

She landed on the roof of the museum. It contained a large window that looked down upon a large diamond that was being displayed. She set her right talon on the glass, a suction cut activated on it. With the sharp, metal nails of her left talon, she cut an outline in the glass. She lifted her right talon and moved the glass piece away, setting it on the roof. She could fit through the hole that she had made.

She could not go down just yet. She released pellets from her wings. These pellets fell on the floor, making little sound. Smoke was released silently from the pellets, revealing red lasers surrounding the diamond. She released a grappling hook from the back of her harness. It clung to the roof. As she lowered herself down, she released balls of ink from her wings that miraculously covered the lenses of the cameras in the room.

"Who's there?" a guard said.

The Vultress was quick. Her harness released an egg-shaped object onto the floor. She lowered herself down until the diamond stuck to the suction cups on her talons. She raised herself back onto the roof. When the guards entered and got near the egg, it released smoke that made them fall asleep earlier than they had intended.

The Vultress held the diamond close to eyes, covered by black goggles. She smiled. The heist was a success. She got away scot-free, flying homeward in the night.


	17. The Connors Meet SpiderMan

In the early hours of the next day, Peter woke up in the hotel room that he had paid for. He had to go to sleep early the previous night in order to wake up early. Jameson refused to sleep in the same room as him. This was due to the fact that he wanted Peter to pay for his own hotel room while Jameson got a more luxurious one. This actually worked well for Peter. He did not want his Spider-Man costume in the same room as Jameson. He probably would have stumbled across it and then react angrily at Peter. He probably would have fired him.

Peter had found out that Mrs. Connors and her son were staying in this particular hotel. He was able to convince Jameson to stay in this hotel so that he would be able to meet with Martha and Billy. Parker had told Jameson the previous night that he might be going to the Everglades to investigate. Jameson did not mind. He decided that he wanted to enjoy a Florida vacation.

Peter took the Spider-Man suit out of the suitcase and suited up. He could not risk being seen by someone passing through the hall. The room number would have been linkable to him. Peter made sure that he exited through the sliding door on the balcony before the sun was up and people were awake. He climbed the hotel until he found the balcony that corresponded to the Connors' floor and room number. When the sun rose and he was sure Martha and Billy were awake, he knocked on the glass sliding door.

"Who's there?" Martha asked. She tip-toed towards the sliding door. When she pulled the drapes aside, she was surprised to see Spider-Man. "Spider-Man?"

"Spider-Man!" Billy said, running excitedly to the window.

Martha opened the sliding door. Spider-Man walked off of the balcony and into the room.

"What are you doing here?" Martha asked.

"A friend of mine said that you could really use my help, so I decided to take a flight from New York as soon as I could."

"You're going to help us?" Billy asked. "Can you save my dad?"

"I will do my best. I already know the details. That is, everything except where your husband is, Mrs. Connors."

"He's probably still around that lab near the swamp," Martha said.

"Can you take me there?"

"Yes. I can drive you there."

"After you bring me to him, you two can wait at a safe distance."

"Let us see him!" Billy demanded. "My dad is a good guy. Maybe if he sees us, he will go back to normal."

"It's not that simple," Martha said. "I don't want you to be endangered."

"Let me talk to your husband first. Then we can play it by ear. Get your car ready. I will meet you in the parking lot."


	18. Kraven vs Lizard

Meanwhile, in the Everglades, Sergei Kravinoff, also known as Kraven, searched for the Lizard. Many local hunters with shotguns followed him because they had no idea where to go.

"The Lizard will be mine when I find him," he reminded them.

He was very much aware of his surroundings. He could tell when a passing animal making a noise was not the Lizard himself. It was dim in this area of the woods. Some of the hunters were paranoid. Kraven believed that fear was their weakness. That would explain why they felt that they had to use weapons. Kraven only needed his bare hands.

"I saw something over there!" one of the hunters said.

Kraven glanced in the direction that the hunter pointed to. Everyone could see a dark shape approaching. First it appeared to be walking.

"It's getting closer," another hunter said.

"Shoot it!" said another.

Shotguns were fired in the direction of the Lizard. All of the bullets flew past the creature. Now it began to speed up.

"Run away!"

All of the armed hunters ran away towards the direction of civilization. Kraven stood where he was as the Lizard ran on all fours. He stretched out his arms and readied his hands.

"Come here, you demon creature!" Kraven demanded.

Kraven believed that he was ready, but nothing could have prepared him for this. He was no match for the Lizard's strength. When it got to him, it stood up and picked him up by the shoulders. The hunter, for the lack of a better metaphor, became the hunted. The Lizard pushed him back. It even managed to raise him up and throw him against a tree.

"AH!" Kraven screamed.

He hit his head on the tree and fell face-down in a swamp puddle. The Lizard walked over to him and pulled his hair so that he could see his face. Kraven was unconscious. The Lizard pulled Kraven aside and left him on the ground before running off in the direction of his lair.


	19. Departure From Coral Gables

Peter spoke to Aunt May on the phone in his hotel room. He wanted her to know what was going on. Now that she knew that he was Spider-Man, he could not leave her in the dark.

"I spoke to Dr. Connors' family. They are bringing me as Spider-Man to his lab so that I can talk to him."

"Do you think that he will listen to you?"

"This isn't the first time I have tried reasoning with a scientist gone mad with power. I will make sure that there is a happy ending this time."

"I hope so, Peter. Good luck."

"Thanks, Aunt May."

He hung up and then dialed Mary Jane's number. It was not yet time for her to go to work. She answered.

"Hello?"

"Mary Jane, it's me."

"Oh, hey Pete."

"I just wanted to let you know that Dr. Connors' wife is going to take me to him. His son wants to go, too. I will make sure that nothing bad happens to him."

"A lot of stuff has been going on on my end."

"Good stuff?"

"More like bad. People are talking about a heist that took place last night."

"A heist?"

"It's all over the news. The guards don't know a thing. They don't even know what the criminal looks like. They have no leads. You should look into it when you get back."

"I will. But not after I look into your eyes."

"You always find a way to turn things around. Do what you can to help Connors."

"I will. Don't worry. After all this is over, I will be back in New York."

When the conversation ended, Peter hung up the phone. He dropped his clothes on the floor and put on his Spider-Man outfit. He exited through the sliding door once more.

After he left, a middle-aged cleaning maid entered the room. She had a look of confusion when she saw Peter's clothes on the floor.

"I'll come back later," she said as she covered her eyes in case there was a naked man about to walk around the room.

Outside of the hotel, J. Jonah Jameson was getting ready to do some sight-seeing around Coral Gables. He had his own camera with him so that he could show his wife, who was too occupied with her own work to come to Florida. Jameson got in his car in the parking lot. In the rear view mirror, he saw Spider-Man swing into a car. He looked back and saw the disguised man riding in a car with the woman and the boy Jameson remembered seeing yesterday.

"What the hell is Spider-Man doing around here? Wait a minute... He must be in league with the Lizard! I've got you now, Spider-Man! And I even have a camera with me!"

Jameson stayed a few cars behind the vehicle containing Spider-Man as it headed in the direction of the Everglades.


	20. Curt vs Lizard

The Lizard examined his reflection in the swamp water. He had the appearance of a terrifying monster hungry for power. For now, he could fight the hunters of this area. He could utilize his intelligence to create more chemicals that could have irreversible effects on the people that he wanted to best. Everyone could look up to him as their leader. A very intelligent leader at that.

There was, however, a part of him that felt remorse. He felt guilty about hurting people in Coral Gables. He knew that the hunters who had fought him or even just seen him could be scarred for life. He was missing something.

"Martha," he said to himself. "Billy. They are all that I have. They are my whole world. I cannot be with them like this."

This was Curt Connors, not the Lizard. The Lizard part of him cut in.

"You could have unlimited power. Go back to the lab. You can find something in there that will increase both your aggression and your strength."

Curt began to wonder if he even wanted that. How would it affect his family? This did not seem to matter; he could not control the movement of his reptilian body at the moment. He walked until he arrived within a few yards of his lab. There, he saw a car pulling over. He recognized Martha and Billy. There was someone else with them. Though he had never met this person, he recognized him as well. It was Spider-Man.

"Dr. Connors!" Spider-Man called out. "Do you recognize your wife and son?"

The reptile felt frustration.

"Of course I recognize them! Just because my new form is days old does not mean I have forgotten!"

"So then you remember what your true form is."

"My true form? As a human, I was a weak, one-armed freak. Now, I have _everything_."

"You already had everything, Curt," Martha interjected. "There are many people trying to kill you. If we hurry, we can try to cure you."

"I don't need to be cured. I am powerful. And I am about to become something beautiful."

"I want my dad back!" Billy said. "Give him back!"

"I am your dad."

"No you're not! But you can change that. Change yourself."

"Let us help you," Martha said.

"Martha," her husband said. "Billy. I... I want to change back... It's just... This thing... Ah! Get away from it!"

The Lizard began to run towards them. Martha wrapped her arms around Billy. Spider-Man sprung into action by trying to hold back the Lizard's arms.

"This is not you! Can you hear me?"

"I hear your words, but I don't see a mouth. Why don't I show you mine?"

The Lizard opened his mouth, revealing his sharp teeth. He bit Spider-Man's left arm, causing him to scream. Skin and blood were visible. Spider-Man was pushed to the ground by his antagonist. He used his powers to swing onto a tree branch.

"What's the matter, spider? Unable to devour prey?"

"I just don't want you to devour your young like a lizard."

"Like a lizard? I _am_ Lizard!"

The green menace climbed the tree and pushed Spider-Man off of the branch. He saved himself by swinging to another tree.

"I will get you, Spider-Man!"

The Lizard followed as Spider-Man began swinging from tree to tree.

"Don't hurt him!" Martha said.

Billy got out of Martha's grasp and ran so that he could follow the fight.

"Billy! Come back!"

Martha ran after her son, who was heading into a dangerous area.


	21. Jameson's Investigation

J. Jonah Jameson saw the fight when he commenced. He had been hiding behind a bush. He took pictures as it was going on. When everyone was far away from the lab, he decided to run inside and investigate. He rummaged through various drawers. Descriptive notes on experiments identified the Lizard as Dr. Curt Connors.

"The doctors are always the bad guys," he said to himself.

He did a bit more snooping around and came across something rather mysterious: a jar. The jar itself was not mysterious, but its contents were. Jameson took off the lid and pulled out a glass slide. Within the slide was a black substance. It looked somewhat familiar.

"I have a feeling Spider-Man has something to do with this."

It all came back to him. Back in New York, Spider-Man had fought a black creature that resembled venom. This happened after Spider-Man stopped wearing a black suit that he had mysteriously acquired.

Dr. Connors' notes on the substance revealed that it was a symbiote. Jameson skimmed through the notes before shoving them in his pocket.

"That doctor probably wants to perfect it and keep it all to himself. That explains why Spider-Man is trying to kill him. This should be enough to expose Spider-Man and the Lizard for the evil beings that they are!"

Jameson put the slide back in the jar. He was able to fit the jar in one of his pockets. He ran outside of the building. He could not see anyone. He walked silently in the direction of where he last saw fighting taking place.

"Damn! This swamp is gonna ruin my slacks! I'm gonna be smelling like crap for a month!"


	22. SpiderMan vs Lizard

Spider-Man and Lizard were going at it. The Lizard kept swinging his fists at Spider-Man. He managed to hit Spider-Man three times. Each punch hurt worse than the last.

"Ow!" Spider-Man said. "Talk about anger management issues."

Spider-Man took a few steps back. He shot webs at the Lizard. When they stuck to him, he pulled the lizard down onto the mud. When the Lizard looked up from where he was, he glared at Spider-Man. The place where his eyebrows would be were arched towards his nose. He was furious. He an up to Spider-Man, who shot webs in his eyes.

"My eyes!"

The Lizard turned around, hitting Spider-Man with his tail. Spider-Man felt pain all over his torso. Spider-Man threw a punch at the Lizard's chest.

"Ow!"

That came from Spider-Man. The Lizard's exterior was strong. It was so strong that it picked Spider-Man up and threw him into a large body of swamp water. Spider-Man raised himself from the water.

"Ugh! That smell! I'm gonna need to wash this suit three times before I can get everything out."

"Just hope that you live to have another laundry day!"

The Lizard jumped on top of Spider-Man. His feet crushed Spider-Man's back. Spider-Man's face was under water. Spider-Man struggled to get his face out of the water, but he did not have enough strength. His arms splashed the water all around him.

"I hope you enjoyed your life while you could, Spider-Man. Because you just took your last breath."

The Lizard stood firmly on top of Spider-Man, waiting for him to drown. He could almost taste victory. Suddenly, he heard a gunshot. This was followed by a stinging pain in his right arm. He looked at the arm. He was bleeding thanks to a shotgun. He turned around and saw Kraven the Hunter holding a shotgun that had apparently been dropped by another hunter in fear.

"This is not how I normally do things, but you are too strong for me."

"Curt!" Martha cried. "Run!"

Kraven aimed the gun at the Lizard's head. The Lizard jumped off of Spider-Man, avoiding the next bullet. Spider-Man stood up once again. He looked at Lizard's eyes. There was definitely fear there.

"Stay away from him!" Billy said.

Kraven ignored the child and prepared the shoot again. Spider-Man thought fast. He had to act quickly. He shot out webs from his wrists and pulled the shotgun out of Kraven's hands.

"Give it back!" Kraven demanded.

"I can't at the moment. Rain check?"

Kraven ran towards Spider-Man. He was sure that the hero was not capable of firing a gun. With his bare hands, he tried disarming the hero. He successfully threw it into the water. Before he could hit Spider-Man, the Lizard crept up behind him and hit him in the head with a rock. Kraven was unconscious. The Lizard set the body aside once again. He covered his wound with his left hand and looked at his frightened family.

"He agreed to help us help you, Curt," Martha explained.

Her husband turned his head to Spider-Man.

"Why help me instead of taking me down? You barely know anything about me."

"Not necessarily," Spider-Man said right before he removed his mask.

"Peter Parker!" Connors said.

"This is why I was late to your class all those times," Peter explained.

"How did this happen?"

"It's a long story that I can tell you later. Right now, we've got to get that bullet out and try to cure you. Can you do that?"

"I can try. I have an idea of how the cure can be made. Just take me to the lab."


	23. The Cure

Curt was taken to his laboratory, still in his reptilian form. Martha carefully removed the bullet. Curt still let out a small groan. She bandaged it to stop the bleeding.

"I think the problem was the lizard blood in the chemical," Curt explained. "Only with the use of the lizard's biological make-up was I able to achieve regeneration. I made sure that I took blood samples from myself as a human. Let's hope that it works."

"Tell me what to do," Peter said.

"I have both arms. I can manage for now."

"You may need to give me instructions in case something happens to you again."

"Good point."

Dr. Connors was hard at work with the making of the new chemical. He instructed Peter about the process. Peter's extra set of hands sped up the process. Whenever Connors felt like the Lizard was going to take over again, he looked at his wife and his son. This barely kept him from internally changing into the monster again.

After much time had passed, the chemical was finished. Peter handed it to Dr. Connors.

"Let's hope that this works. If not, I just want you two, Martha and Billy, that I love you."

"We love you, dad."

"We love you, honey."

"And Peter," Curt continued, "Thanks for not being too late."

Peter did not laugh at this dark humor. He was concerned about what would happen to his former college professor and his family. He watched as Dr. Connors injected the chemical into his right arm. Seconds later, the arm was achieving the opposite of growth; it was shrinking. It shrank until it ended at his shoulder and it was no more. The rest of Connors' body became human. He no longer had hair on his head, but the reptilian form was disappearing. When everything including the tail was gone, Martha and Billy ran up to him and gave him a hug. Dr. Connors looked at Peter.

"We should probably head back to New York and let all this die down."

"I couldn't agree more," Peter said.

"Parker, thanks for _being_ here. I could not have done it without getting some sense knocked into me."

"Anytime. We better get out of here before Kraven wakes up. I'll tell what I can back in New York."

"Sounds like a plan. I'll just pack all this stuff as fast as I can."


	24. Photos

J. Jonah Jameson sat on the edge of his bed in his hotel room. It was almost time for him and Peter Parker to leave. He reviewed the photos that he had taken. There was a good shot of the Lizard pursuing Spider-Man. Another picture depicted the two of them in a tree. The third one showed the Lizard standing on top of Spider-Man, trying to make him drown. And then there was the picture that revealed Spider-Man's identity.

Jameson could not believe it when he saw it, but he did. He made sure that he was behind a log where he could not be seen. To think that he was on a trip to Florida with Spider-Man himself. Even now, he would be heading back to New York City with him, where he would continue working for him. To think that Spider-Man had been working for him for four years, not really trying to disprove the things that Jameson had said about him. He had been right under Jameson's nose...

"These pictures are too good," Jameson said to himself. "I can show the fight against the Lizard, but perhaps I should wait another day to reveal Spider-Man's identity. This will be a lost-and-found photo someday. The _Bugle_ will be on top now, and it will be on top again when I release this photo. By then, I may even get a picture of him with his hand in the cookie jar."

At that moment, Jameson pulled out the jar containing the slide with the symbiote. It could be dangerous in the wrong hands. Jameson would have to wait and see what could happen with this in his hands...

He put away the jar and the photos before heading over to Peter's room. He knocked hard on the door three times.

"Staff job, my ass," Jameson muttered. "Parker! It's time to leave!"

Peter left the room to face Jameson.

"Sorry Mr. Jameson. I was changing."

"I bet you were. Did you get any good pics of the Lizard?"

"I'm sorry. It slipped my mind."

"That's odd. No worries. I got a hold of some myself. You know what? I think I'm gonna raise your salary. How does that sound."

"Um, wow. I don't know what to say."

"_Is_ there something you want to say?"

Peter paused for a moment.

"Thank you, Mr. Jameson."

The two of them left the hotel. They reached the airport and were on their way back home.


	25. Return to New York

Spider-Man met up with Aunt May and Mary Jane when he returned to the airport. He hugged both of them.

"How did you do, Peter?" Mary Jane asked.

"Dr. Connors is fine. So is his family. He is Lizard no more."

"I am so glad to hear that their family is reunited," Aunt May said. "We should go somewhere to celebrate."

"Whatever you want, Aunt May."

"It won't be an all-night party, will it?" Mary Jane joked.

"Oh, no. Just a nice dinner at home."

Mary Jane asked this question to see if Peter would be able to confront the burglar tonight. He caught on. He felt like he had to tell Aunt May. He decided that he would wait until after he met the burglar.

That night, they had an enjoyable dinner at Aunt May's house. Though there were a couple of people they wished were there with them, they were still thankful to have each other's company.


	26. Back Home

After dinner, Peter returned to his apartment so that Mr. Ditkovich and Ursula would know that he was back.

"I'm back," he said.

"Welcome back, Pete," Ursula said.

"Here's next month's rent, Mr. Ditkovich," Peter said.

"This is a bit of surprise," Ditkovich said. "Then again, you are climbing employment ladder at newspaper."

"Yeah. It's weird. J. Jonah Jameson raised my salary even though I didn't really do much."

"Perhaps you just have good charisma. Maybe you've learned from someone you know?"

Peter smiled at Mr. Ditkovich.

"Goodnight, Mr. Ditkovich."

"Goodnight, Pete," Ursula said.

"Get some rest," Ditkovich said. "You've had long trip."

Peter opened the fixed door to his room and entered. He waited for a while until he felt that it was dark enough for the burglar to come out. During that time, he wondered why Jameson had raised his salary. It was not known to be common in his character. He stopped thinking about it and put on his Spider-Man suit. He exited through the window and into the night.


	27. SpiderMan vs Vultress

Spider-Man swung himself from building to building. His suit still had cuts in it. Within minutes, he reached a bank. On top of that bank was a woman wearing a black outfit that contained wings. He approached her before she could try stealing from the bank.

"I'm afraid you're gonna have to stop what you're doing," Spider-Man said.

"What are you gonna do? Turn me in?"

"It just may have to come to that."

"I will not be sentenced to rot in jail like my father or the Vulture. The Vultress is smarter than those two."

"Your father?"

"I believe you have met him."

The Vultress punched Spider-Man in the chest.

"Ow," Spider-Man said. "That doesn't refresh my memory."

"What about this?"

The Vultress tried to sever Spider-Man's head with her wings. Spider-Man managed to duck and dodge.

"Can you please stop!" Spider-Man asked.

"No!"

She kept on trying to attack him. Her kicks got him in the head. He fell. She had her prey pinned now. She held her talons on his torso as she pulled off his mask.

"Peter?"

"How do you know my name?"

"It's me," she said in a familiar-sounding voice.

"Felicia? I did not know that that was your dad."

"It doesn't matter now. I'm just following his advice while also carrying out the Vulture's legacy in a more secretive manner."

"You have to stop."

"No. I will not settle for second-best. I don't want to fight you. Perhaps I'll just avoid you and steal valuable items from other cities. But, if you really want me to stop, you have to give me a kiss."

Felicia lifted her black bird mask and puckered her lips.

"I have a girlfriend."

"Just as well. You smell worse than I imagined."

The Vultress took off from the roof of the bank. Peter watched her fly away into the night. He was not sure whether to consider her an enemy or an ally. Either way, he would not pursue her right now. This would be her only chance. If their paths ever crossed again, then he might have to stop her.


	28. Open Wounds

The next day, Spider-Man decided to go to Dr. Connors' home and check up on him. He seemed to be doing okay.

"How are you, Dr. Connors?"

"I feel great. My arm may never grow back, but I am confident that my hair will."

The two of them chuckled a bit. Peter decided that it was time to tell his former professor about his origins.

"I got my powers during a field trip in high school, when I was bitten by a radioactive spider. Since then, I have been using my powers for good. I even fought Dr. Octavius when he became mad with power. He ended up drowning trying to save the city from his own experiment."

"I really wish that none of that had happened to my friend. So, did you ever keep some of the symbiote that you found?"

"I did. It bonded with me, and I became something dark. I took it off, but it landed on someone who craved the powers it gave him. I destroyed it, but I also destroyed him in the process."

"You know, when I was packing all of my stuff, I could find no sign of the symbiote sample that you gave me. I remember taking it with me, but I could not find the jar that contained it when I was packing."

Peter felt worried at this moment.

"I hope it hasn't corrupted someone," Peter said. "I will be ready if I ever find it. Stay away from it if you ever see it."

"I actually tried using it when I was bad because I craved its power, but I was lucky that you stopped me. You are, perhaps, my favorite student, Peter."

"Thanks, Dr. Connors."

The two of them shook hands.

_No matter how many hardships I go through, there will always be someone out there to oppose me. Everyone has an alternate side. For now, I wait for more villains to reveal themselves to my own alternate side: Spider-Man._


End file.
